Method and machine for testing shell-cases



T. Y. OLSEN.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR TESTING SHELL CASES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1911%,

1,334,785. v Patented Ma1'.23,1920.

0' 6 l ra/671K513- 7/ A T/zorakm Gisela, M17 i0 iwjfltfaj a, x 661mTHORSTEN.Y. OLSEN, OF JEHILALDELIPHIIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR TESTING SHELL-CASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920..

Application. filed July 5, 1918. Serial No. 243,439.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Tnonsrnn Y. OLSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented ltfilethods andMachines for Testing Shell- Cases, of which the following is aspecification.

One object of this invention is to provide a novel method of confiningliquid in hollow structures such as shrapnel cases or shells whilesubjecting them to a predetermined hydraulic test pressure, whereby itshall be possible to quickly and conveniently apply such test withoutnecessitating the use of heavy and costly appa 'atus.

It is further desired to provide a relatively simple device for applyinga testing pressure to a shrapnel case or shell, which shall includenovel means for sealing the latter so as lZOgPI'GX ODlL leakage of theliquid therefrom under operating conditions.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a self-contained, simpleand conveniently applied device for retaining liquid under pressure-in ashell while this is being tested ;--the arrangement ot parts being suchas to permit of said device being quickly applied to and removed fromthe shell.

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain. as hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatusconstitutingmy invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing my device under conditions of use.

In the above drawings 1 represents a head preferably made of a steelforging having; a more or less elongated neck 2 and a laterally extendedand usually circular base portion Said neck has a central passageserving as a guideway for a pressure applying plunger 4: and the flatbottom face of the base 3 has a twopart annular recess concentric withsaid guideway. In the inner part of this recess is mounted a steelpacking. ring; 5 preferably of approximately Vshaped section designed tocoact with a cup packin 6 of leather held.

in. the cavity by an annular steel packing nut 7 threaded into its outerportion.

The steel packing rmg' 5 is at all times pressed toward the leather ring6 by a suitable number of coil springs 8 mounted in recesses formed inthe base structure 3, and the cup packing 6 and the packing nut?- areinternally curved to fit the curved point of the shell. or shrapnelcasing m which it is desired to test. The head structure is extendedwithin the packing avity of the base concentrically with the plunger toprovide an externally threaded boss 21 designed to screw into the openend of the shell as which is internally threaded to receive the fuse capor timing mechanism.

The upper end of the neck 2 is provided with a packing to preventleakage between the plunger l and the walls of the passage in which itoperates, and for this'purpose it is recessed concentrically with theguidew ay. In said recess there is threaded an annular packing nut 10tor retaining a cup packing 11 of leather and a packing ring 12 ofapproximately V-shaped section, for spreading its walls, there being); aseries of coil springs 13 operative on said packing ring to force ittoward the leather packing.

The packing nuts 7 and 10 are provided with holes 14- and 15 in theirouter faces respectively, for the reception of a spanner wrench wherebythey may be set up or re moved at will and the base portion 3 of thehead has any desired or suitable number of radial recesses or holes 16for the reception of handles 17 which are preferably permanently fixedtherein.

The packing recess in the base portion 3 is deepest at its outermostportion. and has leading from it to the external. surface of the cap anupwardly extending passage 19 in whose-outer end is mounted a valve orpet cook 20.

Under conditions of use the shell or shrapinel case to be tested isfilled with water or other suitable liquid and the head is placedthereon, beingthen turned to cause its boss 21 to enter thecorrespondingly threaded open end of said shell. The rotation of thehead is continued until the packing nut 7 engages the curved nose of theshell which is then. closely engaged by the inner side of the cupleather 7 under the action of the springs '8 transmitted through thepacking ring 5..

The shell with the head is now placed upon the table 92 0'! any oi. thewell known forms of compression testing machines and the head 23 of"such machine, is caused to act upon the plunger 4 to move it downwardlyin the guideway of the head into the liquid in the shell. The pet cock20 being opened, this movement, of said plunger forces some of the waterout of the shell case through a passage 25 in the boss 21 so that itenters the annular space above and around the packing ring 5, forcingthe air therein out through said pet cock. WVhen the air has beenentirely displaced, as is shown by the escape of water from the petcock, the latter is closed and the pressure on the plunger 4 iscontinued until it exerts the required pressure upon the liquid in theshell case and hence upon the walls of the latter as indicated by thewell known weighing mechanism (not shown) associated with the movablehead 23 of the machine.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, there can be noleakage of the liquid either between the shell case x and the packingnut 7 or between the latter and the base portion of the head 1, since asthe pressure in the space surrounding the packing ring 5 increases, theliquid acts on the sides of the leather packing 6, forcing these againstthe curved surface of the end of the shell case and against the interiorwall of the packing recess respectively.

After the testing pressure has been maintained within the shell casingfor the desired time, the head 23 of the testing machine is raisedsufliciently to permit withdrawal of the head 1 and the shell case,after which said head is removed from the case by being unscrewed.Obviously while pressure is being exerted on the liquid in the shellcasing, said liquid is prevented from escaping along the plunger throughthe neck 2 by the leather packing ring 11 which acts in the same manneras characterizes the ring 6.

It will be particularly noted that not only is the above describedapparatus relatively simple, accurate and substantial in construction,but it is self-contained in that it acts automatically to seal the jointbetween itself and the shell casing without requiring the usual specialand costly machinery hitherto employed to retain the liquid in theshell, and may be employed in connection with any form of testmg machinecapable of giving an indication of the pressure eX- erted upon theplunger 4.

It will be further noted that the device is of such a nature as to bequickly applied to and removed from a shell case, and by reason of theconstruction employed, is relatively light and easily handled.

I claim: v

1. A device for testing shell cases consisting of a structure threadedto screw into the open end of a shell case; and a member operativethrough said structure for applying pressure to liquid in said case.

2. A device for testing shell cases consisting of a structure threadedto screw into the open end of a shell case; and means carried by saidstructure for applying pressure to liquid in said case; with packing;actuated by fluid under pressure from within the case and positioned toform aliquid tight joint between the latter and said threaded structure.

8. A device for testing shell cases consisting of a structure threadedto screw into the open end of a shell case; and a plunger slidable inthe structure for applying pressure to the liquid in the shell case.

4. A device for testing shell cases consisting of a structure threadedto screw into the open end of a shell case; and a plunger slidable inthe structure for applying pressure to the liquid in the shell case;with two sets of packing carried by the threaded structure for makingliquid tight joints between it, the plunger and the shell caserespectively.

5. The combination of a head having a recess for the reception of theopen end of a shell case and including a threaded boss formed to screwinto said end, said boss having a passage opening into the recess; meansfor exerting a testing pressure on a body of liquid in the shell caseand in said recess; and )acking mounted in the recess in position to eforced by the liquid therein into liquid tight engagement with the shellcase.

6. The combination of a head having a recess for the reception of theopen end of a shell case and including a threaded boss formed to screwinto said end; a plunger movable through said boss into the shell ca soscrewed thereon; and packing in the recess mounted to be acted on byliquid under pressure from the shell case to form a liquid tight jointbetween the head and said shell case.

7. The combination of a head having a plunger slidably guided thereinand including a structure for holding it in a shell case; with packingmounted in a recess of said head in position to be acted on by liquidunder pressure from the shell case to make a liquid tight joint betweenthe head and the shell case. I

8. The combination of a head including base and neck portions of whichthe former is provided with a recess for the reception of the end of ashell. case to be tested and includes a threaded bOSs having a passagecommunicating with said recess; a plunger slidable through the neck andthe threaded boss of the head; and packing in the recess placed to beacted on by liquid from the shell case delivered through the passage inthe boss, to form a liquid-tight joint between the head and said shellcase.

9. The combination of a head having a recess and a threaded boss for thereception of the end of a shell case, the latter being in weavescommunication with aid recess; an annular body of cup packing in saidrecess; a nut formed to hold said packing in place; a spring actuatedring for pressing apart the sides of the cup packing; with a plungerslidably mounted in the head for exerting pressure on a body of liquidin the shell case and in the recess.

10. The combination of a head having a recess and including meanswhereby it is held to a shell case against the action of liquid underpressure therein; a body of cup packing in the recess exposed to theaction of the liquid under pressure in the shell case; and a plungerpositioned to enter the open end of the shell case engaged by saidpacking it'or exerting a testing pressure on a body of liquid in saidcase.

11. The combination of a head having a passage therethrough and formedwith a threaded boss and a recess at one end of said passage; a plungerlidable in said passage; a body of packing at one end of the head forpreventing leakage between the plunger and said head; with a second bodyof packing in the recess exposed to liquid under pressure in a shellcase threaded onto said boss and positioned to prevent leakage of saidliquid between the head and the shell case.

12. The combination of a head having a passage therethrough and formedwith a threaded boss and a recess at one end of said passage; a plungerslidable in said passage; a body of packing at one end of the head forpreventing leakage between the plunger and said head; a second body ofpacking in the recess exposed to liquid under pressure in a shell casethreaded onto said boss and positioned to prevent leakage of said liquidbetween the head and the shell case; and an air relief valvecommunicating with said recess.

13. The combination of a head; including means engaging and holding itto the point ed end of a shell case under test; means for exertingpressure on a body of liquid in the shell case; with a body of packingactuated by pressure of the testing liquid, for maintaining a liquidtight joint between the shell case and the head.

14s., The combination of a. head having a boss threaded to screw intothe open end of a shell to be tested and formed with a recess aroundsaid boss; a handle for turning said head; a body for packing in therecess placed to engage the external curved end of a shell screwed ontothe boss and exposed to the action of liquid under pressure in the shellcase; with means for exerting a testing pressure on a body of liquid inthe shell ease and in said recess.

In Witness whereof I aflix my signature.

THORSTEN Y. OLSEN.

